AN: Firstly, I just wanted to say that I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the New Year. Thank you in advance to my readers for reading my little ficlet - it's very fluffy but it feels good to get my feet wet again in this fandom. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I'll be splashing into my WIPs and hopefully something new this year too.

A special thanks goes to honu59 for beta reading this and for the inspirational cover pic.

Tanith

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters, locations or canon information depicted in the series "Hawaii Five-O". I'm just borrowing them for my pleasure and hopefully the enjoyment of others.

Such is the Everyday Life of a Five-O Secretary

After her second knock on the koa wood door, her boss's clipped answer beckoned her to enter his private office. Opening the door with one hand and balancing a tray of refreshments in the other, Jenny Sherman walked in with a smile that failed to hide the genuine concern shown in her eyes.

"I thought you could use some fresh coffee and sandwiches, boss," said the auburn haired secretary as she walked up to Steve McGarrett's desk and carefully moved the towering folders to one side.

"Just coffee, luv," Steve replied without even so much as looking up from his paperwork as Jenny placed the plate of sandwiches on the designated space she had just cleared.

Suppressing a sigh of frustration, Jenny's brow knitted together while she tried another tactic. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that! Feigning a deaf ear, she busily poured the aromatic beverage from the pot into the mug then set them both on the desk. Then she gamely pushed the plate across so that it carefully slid over the report lying flat against the desk and came to rest under Steve's nose.

This time, the head of Hawaii's elite detective unit raised his head and looked up at his secretary who stood with one hand placed on her hip and the other holding the empty tray by her side.

"Steve, you haven't eaten all day. You can't live on coffee alone," Jenny reasoned, or at least in her mind, made the effort. A moment of awkward silence passed between them and she wondered if she had finally tip-toed over the proverbial line of disrespect for one's boss. Drawing in a steady breath, she held her ground, gripping the tray tightly to stop herself from retrieving the plate and apologizing for her insubordination.

"I know you mean well but I'm really not hungry," Steve replied in a tone that was not unkind but suggested the discussion concerning his eating habits was over. He lifted the plate and held it out to his secretary.

Recognizing defeat but not quite ready to raise the white flag, Jenny reached out with her free hand and slowly took the plate from her boss, raising the dish up close to Steve's nose in the hopes that the aroma of fresh bread would at least entice his senses. Maybe just one more try. Before she could even open her mouth, the voices of Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua heralded their arrival as they entered the office single file.

Jenny turned to take her leave and warmly greeted the detectives.

"Jenny?"

The secretary stopped at the door and turned her head, meeting Steve's gaze.

"Mahalo." Steve smiled. The gesture of appreciation was not lost on Jenny.

She returned the smile and felt another set of eyes zero in on her. When she shifted her gaze, she found a pair of brown eyes glued to the plate in her hand. "Kono, would you like some sandwiches?"

Caught red-handedly eyeing the carefully arranged sandwich portions, the young Hawaiian detective grinned broadly.

Like a chain reaction, two more heads turned in Jenny's direction.

"Are those for us? I'm starved!" Danny blurted out then turned a bright shade of crimson as he realized he had momentarily lost his manners.

Jenny beamed and held the plate out to the two detectives, who gratefully took a half sandwich portion each and downed them in mere seconds like they were in a contest of who could eat the fastest. Noticing Chin's longing stare and hearing what could very well have been his stomach growling, Jenny asked if he would care for one, to which the Chinese detective responded with a grin and a barely audible "yes please."

Jenny looked down at the plate and saw only half a sandwich now occupied the porcelain surface. The distinct sound of someone clearing his throat captured her attention.

"May I?" Steve asked, gesturing at the last portion on the plate.

Pau